Breathe
by Allycat33
Summary: The only thing Ikuto needs is for Amu to keep breathing. As long as she does, there's still hope. Sequel to Lips of an Angel.


Well, this is the sequel to my Lips of an Angel songfic. I'm not as happy with it as I was with Lips of an Angel, but I couldn't leave it there. It was too depressing, and I'm a romantic. I need a happy ending.

And if that isn't a spoiler for this story, then I don't know what would be. So, in case you're curious, yes, I made a happy ending. I was considering another questionable ending that would leave the rest of the story to the imagination of the reader, but, as I mentioned, I'm a romantic. So I couldn't do that.

Anyway, this takes place about a week after Lips of an Angel and is inspired by the Superchic[k] song "Breathe" in case you can't tell by the title.

(And for anyone who's curious, this song is really, really beautiful so I suggest you listen to it. It's from the "Rock What You Got" album by Superchic[k].)

But, I digress.

So, yeah. Here it is. Enjoy and review, please.

Disclaimer: I do not own Shugo Chara! or the song "Breathe". If I did, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction. I would either be a popular mangaka or a member of an amazing band (or possibly both). I assure everyone that I am not.

Breathe

_Please tell me you'll fight this fight._

_I can't see without your light._

_I need you to breathe into my life._

The heart monitor beeps steadily, thankfully never faltering, as I sit slumped over the hospital bed. Fiction and reality mix incessantly together as I doze off over and over again.

I think I'm awake right now, though. I lift my head up and study the woman lying on the bed before me, looking for a change, any change. Not seeing one, I drop my head onto my arms again and pray to any god who's listening to give her the strength to come back to me.

It may be incredibly selfish of me, but I need her. She's the love of my life. She's more precious than all the diamonds in the world, rarer than a herd of unicorns, and more beautiful than I could believe anyone or anything to be. She's my other half. My Amu.

I've become a wreck ever since that fateful night that changed everything. I haven't showered in a week. I haven't left the hospital in days. I only leave Amu's bedside to use the bathroom. Some of the nurses have taken pity on me and send me meals, but I rarely touch them. Seeing Amu lying in front of me, seemingly lifeless, has made me lose my appetite.

_Don't tell me this is good-bye._

_I won't grieve it's not yet time._

_Each breath breathed is keeping hope alive._

The doctors say that the chances aren't good. Even though the bullet missed her heart, Amu isn't in good shape. She's in a deep coma and they say it's unlikely she'll ever wake up.

I know better, though. I may not know about medicine, but I know Amu. She's too stubborn to ever give up like this.

She may have given up on life before and tried to shoot herself, but that was only because she thought she was going to be killed by her husband. But her husband was the one who pulled the gun away from her. But then it accidentally went off and now he's in jail waiting for Amu to wake up and be able to give a testimony and here I am in her hospital room waiting for her to wake up, also, and look at me with her beautiful honey-colored eyes.

The doctors may have lost hope, but I haven't. I never will.

_So keep breathing._

_Go on, breathe in._

_Keep on breathing._

_Go on, breathe in._

_Just breathe._

I lift my head up and watch Amu. Her chest moves up and down in a steady, slow rhythm. I take her hand and murmur, "I love you."

_Each breath breathed means that we're alive_

_And life means that we can find_

_The reasons to keep on getting by._

As long as she's breathing, as long as she has a heartbeat, I'll stay by her, waiting for her to wake up. And when she does, because I know she will, we'll be together again.

And this time we won't let anyone get in our way. Not Easter, like they did all those years ago. Not Tadase, like he did countless times. No one will interfere.

_And if reasons we can't find_

_We'll make up some to get by 'til_

_Breath by breath we'll leave this behind._

Because Amu and I? We're made for each other. No matter what, we'll be together. We'll find a way.

And when we do all of our past mistakes will be forgotten: giving in to Easter's threats and splitting up; being too afraid to even really _see_ each other; Amu marrying Tadase; my engagement to Karin; and Amu's suicide attempt. It will all be left behind. Erased.

_So keep breathing._

_Go on, breathe in._

_Keep on breathing._

_Go on, breathe in._

_Just breathe._

The doctors say that the longer Amu stayed in the coma the less likely it is that she'll wake up, but I don't believe it. I think that as long as she's alive she'll wake up. It doesn't matter how long the coma lasts. After all, there are people who have woken up from comas they've been in for _years_. And the doctors are worried about a few weeks?

_All you have to do is breathe._

_All you have to do is breathe._

"All you have to do is breathe, Amu," I tell her softly. "That's enough for me. Then you still have a chance."

_So keep breathing._

_Go on, breathe in._

_Keep on breathing._

_Go on breathe in._

"I love you," I whisper again. I gently squeeze her hand and lay my head down on my arms.

Not a second later, though, my head flies up and I stare wonderingly at Amu. _She squeezed my hand_. It wasn't very strong or a large movement, but I swear she squeezed my hand.

_So keep breathing._

_Go on, breathe in._

_Keep on breathing._

_Go on, breathe in._

I begin to think I imagined it, however, as minutes pass and there is no sign of movement from Amu, other than the steady rising and falling of her chest. But then I feel the lightest of squeezes from her hand and I know that I didn't imagine it. I watch, mesmerized, as her head lolls from side to side. Her eyebrows crease together. Then, finally, her eyes flutter open.

"Amu," I breathe. An immense feeling of relief spreads through me. _She's awake_.

Amu's eyes search until they find mine and a smile flits across her face. "Ikuto," she says. "I love you, too."

_Just breathe._

-

So. There it was. I hope you liked it and if you didn't want a sequel, I'm sorry. As I mentioned before, I needed a happy ending.

Please review. Remember, I always value constructive criticism and I won't be offended, so feel free to tell me some things I can improve on. But in a NICE way, please. If it's not in a nice way, it's just criticism and not constructive at all.


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